Plant General Manager – Battery Pack / Cell Manufacturing

国轩高科; Jeddah; On-site; SAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

国轩高科 seeks a Plant General Manager to lead the establishment, launch, and operation of a battery manufacturing footprint in the Middle East, initially supporting battery Pack manufacturing with potential expansion into cell manufacturing.

This role holds accountability for plant safety, quality, delivery, cost, and overall operational performance, with responsibility for developing local talent and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Materials, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related fields.
• 10+ years of manufacturing experience, including 5+ years in plant operations leadership.
• Battery/advanced manufacturing experience preferred.
• Greenfield plant setup, production launch, ramp-up, and operational improvement experience.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, quality, supply chain, equipment, process engineering, and EHS.
• Experience with P&L, Capex, Opex, and annual operating plans.
• International experience and cross-cultural leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead plant planning, construction, equipment installation, commissioning, production launch, and ramp-up.
• Own annual operating objectives, production plans, cost targets, organizational planning, and overall plant performance.
• Build and continuously improve manufacturing systems covering production, engineering, quality, equipment, process, supply chain, IT, and EHS.
• Drive capacity planning, OEE, yield, productivity, delivery performance, lean manufacturing, automation, and digital manufacturing.
• Establish and maintain robust quality systems covering incoming, process, finished-product, and customer quality.
• Develop local supply chains and increase localization of materials, components, equipment, and services.
• Own manufacturing cost management, including material, labor, Capex, Opex, and operational improvement.
• Develop and execute localization and Saudization plans, including recruitment, training, and development of local technical and management talent.
• Ensure compliance with local EHS, fire protection, environmental, occupational health, and industrial regulations.
• Build and lead the plant management team across Production, Engineering, Process, Equipment, Quality, Supply Chain, EHS, HR, and Administration.
• Support engagement with government authorities, industrial zones, investment organizations, and strategic local partners.

Skills

Plant operations leadership

Manufacturing cost management

Cross-cultural leadership

Strategic planning

Lean manufacturing

Quality & EHS

Localization / Saudization

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree or above in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Materials, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related fields

Job description

Location: Middle East – final location based on plant site selection

Role Overview

The Plant General Manager will lead the establishment, launch, and operation of Gotion’s battery manufacturing footprint in the Middle East, initially supporting battery Pack manufacturing with potential expansion into cell manufacturing.

This role will have overall responsibility for plant safety, quality, delivery, cost, operational performance, and organization development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead plant planning, construction, equipment installation, commissioning, production launch, and ramp-up.
• Own annual operating objectives, production plans, cost targets, organizational planning, and overall plant performance.
• Build and continuously improve manufacturing systems covering production, engineering, quality, equipment, process, supply chain, IT, and EHS.
• Drive capacity planning, OEE, yield, productivity, delivery performance, lean manufacturing, automation, and digital manufacturing.
• Establish and maintain robust quality systems covering incoming, process, finished-product, and customer quality.
• Develop local supply chains and increase localization of materials, components, equipment, and services.
• Own manufacturing cost management, including material, labor, Capex, Opex, and operational improvement.
• Develop and execute localization and Saudization plans, including recruitment, training, and development of local technical and management talent.
• Ensure compliance with local EHS, fire protection, environmental, occupational health, and industrial regulations.
• Build and lead the plant management team across Production, Engineering, Process, Equipment, Quality, Supply Chain, EHS, HR, and Administration.
• Support engagement with government authorities, industrial zones, investment organizations, and strategic local partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Materials, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related fields.
• 10+ years of manufacturing experience, including 5+ years in comprehensive plant operations leadership.
• Battery cell, battery Pack, lithium-ion battery, EV, or related advanced manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Proven experience in greenfield plant setup, production launch, ramp-up, and operational improvement.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, quality, supply chain, equipment, process engineering, and EHS.
• Strong business and cost-management capabilities, including experience with P&L, Capex, Opex, and annual operating plans.
• International experience and proven ability to lead cross-cultural organizations.
• English as a working language; Arabic is a plus.
• Willingness to be permanently based in the Middle East.